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Tribune News Network
Doha
The MTB racing season opening race in Qatar took place in Al Khor on Friday with Tunisian triathlete Mehdi Mersni of Team Al Bidaa winning in the men’s open category.
He was also the overall winner in terms of fastest lap and most laps done. Consequently, he got the KOM Badge in Strava for this route.
Iran riders Mohammed and Taregh Abdolrahman Hermi, who are in Qatar to try out the mountain bike circuit race, claimed the first and second place respectively in the men’s Under-30 category.
Another first-timer on Qatar’s MTB scene, Cornelis Jan Wouters (Netherlands) won in the men’s Under-40 category. It is also worth mentioning that he got his second podium of the day finishing as runners-up in the Torch Stairway Run after the MTB race.
Rasen Adventure Team Riders, Denrei Catalan of Philippines & Jaco Anderson of South Africa topped the Masters (40 & Above) & Veterans (50 & above) categories respectively.
Team Bike To Work cyclist Mel Christian De Vera (Philippines) won the top spot in the men’s novice category.
The introduction of additional handicap categories for women saw more lady participants in the mountain bike racing. Former UCI Pro rider Pia Stundstedt (Finland) of
Team Rasen Adventure Shop proved her prowess as she won the women’s open category. She also finished with the most laps in the race. Rowena Ruiz (Philippines) of Team Doha Chiqlistas won in the ‘women’s weekend warrior’ category while South African Helena Corby won in the women’s novice category.
In the youth U-16 category, ten riders joined the and Indonesian Aditya Prasetyo of Team IFME won his first gold medal for this season.
The technically challenging course which featured a lot of short but steep climbs, took a toll on almost all participants with only 161 riders finishing the race out of 180 mountain bikers who bravely showed up on the race day.
This race used the all-new xc circuit track designed and laid out with the help of Team El Padyakero of UFMBQ.
Rider Nicolas Wohlwend of Liechtenstein, said, “The route is an exciting combination of quite technical sections with some fast pace parts next to the mangroves forest of Al Khor and some surprisingly steep climbs. The race itself was a lot of fun with around 50 participants in my category alone, 180+ in total.”
Neil Melville (UK), a veteran in Qatar’s cycling races both Road and MTB said that it had become a game for him to trying to keep his pulse as low as possible between climbs just to survive for 75 minutes.
Michael Anderson (South Africa) of Team Rasen Adventure shop lauded the race organizers for the track that was well laid out with lots of different challenges.
He added that All the technical descents and short but steep climbs were definitely the deciders of the day.Open Category
Men: 1st –Mehdi Mersni, (Tunisia) Team Al Bidaa; 2nd – Glenn Bull (Australia) Team Travel-Race.com; 3rd - Del Valle Bustos, Andres (Argentina) Team Los Gauchos.
Women: 1st- Pia Sunstedt (Finland) Team Rasen Adventure Shop; 2nd – Allesandra Agcacaoili (Philippines) Team El Padyakero; 3rd – Katrina Agcacaoili (Philippines) Team El Padyakero.
U-30: Men: 1st – Mohamad Abdolrahman Hermi (Iran) Team Iran; 2nd – Taregh Abdolrahman Hermi (Iran) Team Iran; 3rd – Bobby Pertudo (Philippines) Team El Padyakero; U-40: 1st – Cornelis Jan Wouters (Netherlands); 2nd – Jeffrey Ramos (Philippines) Team El Padyakero; 3rd – Fritzgerald Borromeo (Philippines) Team El Padyakero.
Masters: 1st – Denrei Catalan (Philippines) Team Rasen Adventure Shop; 2nd – Francis Agcacaoili (Philippines) Team El Padyakero; 3rd – Francis Alegado (Philippines)
Veterans: 1st – Jaco Andersen (South Africa) Team Rasen Adventure Shop; 2nd – Danilo Cruz (Philippines) Team El Padyakero; 3rd – Ronnie Saclin (Philippines) Team SMCC Apo Lakay.
Women’s Weekend Warrior: 1st – Rowena Ruiz (Philippines) Team Doha ChiQlistas; 2nd – Charmaine Aliwalas (Philippines) Team El Padyakero; 3rd – Charlotte Wohlwend (Switzerland).
Novice: Men: 1st – Mel Christian De Vera (Philippines) Team Bike To Work; 2nd – Arnel Rubia (Philippines) Team Ten-O-Mile; 3rd – Rowell Andres (Philippines) Team Bike To Work.
Women: 1st – Helena Corby (South Africa); 2nd – Mary Grace Orajay (Philippines) Team Bike To Work.
Youth U-16: 1st – Aditya Prasetyo (Indonesia) Team IFME; 2nd – Muhammad Iman bin Hasmin (Malaysia) Team Al Khor Cyclists; 3rd – Ameer Ihsan (Singapore) Team Harding.
Doha
The MTB racing season opening race in Qatar took place in Al Khor on Friday with Tunisian triathlete Mehdi Mersni of Team Al Bidaa winning in the men’s open category.
He was also the overall winner in terms of fastest lap and most laps done. Consequently, he got the KOM Badge in Strava for this route.
Iran riders Mohammed and Taregh Abdolrahman Hermi, who are in Qatar to try out the mountain bike circuit race, claimed the first and second place respectively in the men’s Under-30 category.
Another first-timer on Qatar’s MTB scene, Cornelis Jan Wouters (Netherlands) won in the men’s Under-40 category. It is also worth mentioning that he got his second podium of the day finishing as runners-up in the Torch Stairway Run after the MTB race.
Rasen Adventure Team Riders, Denrei Catalan of Philippines & Jaco Anderson of South Africa topped the Masters (40 & Above) & Veterans (50 & above) categories respectively.
Team Bike To Work cyclist Mel Christian De Vera (Philippines) won the top spot in the men’s novice category.
The introduction of additional handicap categories for women saw more lady participants in the mountain bike racing. Former UCI Pro rider Pia Stundstedt (Finland) of
Team Rasen Adventure Shop proved her prowess as she won the women’s open category. She also finished with the most laps in the race. Rowena Ruiz (Philippines) of Team Doha Chiqlistas won in the ‘women’s weekend warrior’ category while South African Helena Corby won in the women’s novice category.
In the youth U-16 category, ten riders joined the and Indonesian Aditya Prasetyo of Team IFME won his first gold medal for this season.
The technically challenging course which featured a lot of short but steep climbs, took a toll on almost all participants with only 161 riders finishing the race out of 180 mountain bikers who bravely showed up on the race day.
This race used the all-new xc circuit track designed and laid out with the help of Team El Padyakero of UFMBQ.
Rider Nicolas Wohlwend of Liechtenstein, said, “The route is an exciting combination of quite technical sections with some fast pace parts next to the mangroves forest of Al Khor and some surprisingly steep climbs. The race itself was a lot of fun with around 50 participants in my category alone, 180+ in total.”
Neil Melville (UK), a veteran in Qatar’s cycling races both Road and MTB said that it had become a game for him to trying to keep his pulse as low as possible between climbs just to survive for 75 minutes.
Michael Anderson (South Africa) of Team Rasen Adventure shop lauded the race organizers for the track that was well laid out with lots of different challenges.
He added that All the technical descents and short but steep climbs were definitely the deciders of the day.Open Category
Men: 1st –Mehdi Mersni, (Tunisia) Team Al Bidaa; 2nd – Glenn Bull (Australia) Team Travel-Race.com; 3rd - Del Valle Bustos, Andres (Argentina) Team Los Gauchos.
Women: 1st- Pia Sunstedt (Finland) Team Rasen Adventure Shop; 2nd – Allesandra Agcacaoili (Philippines) Team El Padyakero; 3rd – Katrina Agcacaoili (Philippines) Team El Padyakero.
U-30: Men: 1st – Mohamad Abdolrahman Hermi (Iran) Team Iran; 2nd – Taregh Abdolrahman Hermi (Iran) Team Iran; 3rd – Bobby Pertudo (Philippines) Team El Padyakero; U-40: 1st – Cornelis Jan Wouters (Netherlands); 2nd – Jeffrey Ramos (Philippines) Team El Padyakero; 3rd – Fritzgerald Borromeo (Philippines) Team El Padyakero.
Masters: 1st – Denrei Catalan (Philippines) Team Rasen Adventure Shop; 2nd – Francis Agcacaoili (Philippines) Team El Padyakero; 3rd – Francis Alegado (Philippines)
Veterans: 1st – Jaco Andersen (South Africa) Team Rasen Adventure Shop; 2nd – Danilo Cruz (Philippines) Team El Padyakero; 3rd – Ronnie Saclin (Philippines) Team SMCC Apo Lakay.
Women’s Weekend Warrior: 1st – Rowena Ruiz (Philippines) Team Doha ChiQlistas; 2nd – Charmaine Aliwalas (Philippines) Team El Padyakero; 3rd – Charlotte Wohlwend (Switzerland).
Novice: Men: 1st – Mel Christian De Vera (Philippines) Team Bike To Work; 2nd – Arnel Rubia (Philippines) Team Ten-O-Mile; 3rd – Rowell Andres (Philippines) Team Bike To Work.
Women: 1st – Helena Corby (South Africa); 2nd – Mary Grace Orajay (Philippines) Team Bike To Work.
Youth U-16: 1st – Aditya Prasetyo (Indonesia) Team IFME; 2nd – Muhammad Iman bin Hasmin (Malaysia) Team Al Khor Cyclists; 3rd – Ameer Ihsan (Singapore) Team Harding.
